The Assault on Democracy: How We Undermine Our Own Strength

Gerhard Falk

jan 2017 · Algora Publishing

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Prof. Falk highlights a wide array of offenses that not only make people mad but undermine the US Constitution and faith in the system, from police abuse and prosecutors' misconduct to the recent assaults on free speech on college campuses. The US has seen an increase in religious attacks on Christians, Jews and Muslims alike, and backsliding on racial and gender equality.<p>After throwing off the monarchy and nobility, we see that once again National and State politics are dominated by family dynasties. Government corruption is rife. We have politicized news reporting by a biased press, and emotion-driven protest movements that confuse Democracy with Mob Rule.<p>And there are growing tensions over poverty and income inequality. People may question where to draw a line between the responsibility to live up to a strong work ethic and the right to Welfare when we need it. Unions have been weakened, yet unsafe work conditions persist in industries ranging from mining to cruise ships, and honest workers are kept on "temp" or "part-time" status without benefits and even so, are afraid of unreasonably being fired. Workplace discrimination continues against Latinas, Blacks, Native Americans and Chinese, and women.<p>Prof. Falk gives a quick overview of the political and philosophical history leading to the rise of the "individual" out of feudalism, with England's Magna Carta and the French Declaration of the Rights of Man, and American documents like the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. These are the foundations that undergird America’s values of individualism and entrepreneurialism. The book then shows how US government agencies, organizations, and citizens in fact are undermining our rights and responsibilities, eroding the achievements of centuries past. A change of attitude, starting at the top, is essential if we are to pull our country together.

 

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Dr. Gerhard Falk is professor of sociology at Buffalo State College. He is the author of 24 books and 42 journal articles, mostly taking a sociologist's view of history.<p>
He has been awarded the New York State Research Foundation's Award for Scholarship; the Buffalo State College President's Award for Creativity and The New York State University Chancellor's Award for Excellence.